When the football launched off Brandon McManus’ foot — as time in regulation expired, with a Broncos playoff berth on the line — it hooked so far left that, many reasoned, it must have been tipped by an opposing player.

But it hadn’t. It was just an unusually awful kick from 45 yards out.

“I’m 24 years old,” McManus said. “I don’t think I’ve ever kicked a ball like that in my life — grade school, elementary school or anything like that. I just wrapped my toe around on it.”

Some kicking 101, for the uninitiated: A kicker is supposed to lock his ankle and keep his toe down when striking the ball. Pick the toe up too quickly, and the result is, well, what McManus nearly blasted to the visitors’ tunnel.

Randy Moss last played for the 49ers, in 2012. (Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images)

Former Pro-Bowl wide receiver Randy Moss had as many football accolades as he did controversies in his 14-year NFL career.

Drafted by the Minnesota Vikings with the 21st overall pick in 1998, Moss jumped around to six different NFL teams, winning both an NFC and AFC Championship, earning seven Pro-Bowl selections and setting a slew of league records.

Moss retired once, in 2011, but returned to the game about six months later on a one-year deal with the 49ers. After that, he called it quits again and joined Fox Sports 1 as an NFL analyst..

But even at 37, he says he’s still in top shape and confirmed an earlier report by Jay Glazer that the Seahawks had reached out to him about replacing receiver Percy Harvin, who has since been shipped to the Jets. (Glazer later clarified that the Seahawks reached out to Moss at the end of last year.)

But while on Fox Sports’ “The Peter Schrager Podcast” last week, Moss didn’t rule out an NFL return — so long as it was with a certain quarterback.

Adrian Peterson was placed on the NFL’s exempt list by the Vikings last month. (Ann Heisenfelt, The Associated Press)

The bad just gets worse for former star running back Adrian Peterson. In the past month, Peterson went from being one of the biggest names in the NFL to being indicted on child abuse charges and placed on the NFL’s exempt list by the Vikings.

According to an exclusive by The Star Tribune, Peterson’s troubles run far deeper. Records obtained by the paper show that he has fathered six children, two of them born to different mothers a month apart.

He has also had several run-ins with the law in Minnesota and Texas, his home state, including a 2011 incident in which he was investigated for alleged criminal sexual misconduct during a night of partying in a Minnesota hotel. No charges were ever filed, but the 38-page police report obtained by the Tribune detailed a wild night with alcohol, arguing and sex that involved Peterson, two relatives and four women. One of Peterson’s relatives who was there told police that the room was paid for with a company credit card for Peterson’s charity, All Day Foundation.

The Tribune report also went into detail of alleged bogus donations made by his charity, which supposedly focused on at-risk children.

The charity’s 2011 financial report showed $247,064 in total revenue, and listed just three organizations that received money. A fourth outlay, entitled simply “clothing for needy families,” listed “unknown” for the number of recipients.

In 2009, the charity said its largest gift, $70,000, went to Straight From the Heart Ministries in Laurel, Md. But Donna Farley, president and founder of the Maryland organization, said it never received any money from Peterson’s foundation. “There have been no outside [contributions] other than people in my own circle,” said Farley. “Adrian Peterson — definitely not.”

The East Texas Food Bank, based in Tyler, said it received money from Peterson’s foundation in 2009, although the foundation’s tax filing for the year listed just one donation to a food bank — the North Texas Food Bank, based in Dallas.

They said they “want to make sure they get it right.” That “they made a mistake.” That “this was the best possible solution.”

Vikings brass again addressed reporters Wednesday, this time to say that they’re putting their star running back on the exempt list (he will still be paid) just two days after they announced that they would reinstate him after he was charged with child abuse.

The Wilf brothers and GM Rick Spielman refused to veer too far from the scripted statement in front of them, making for yet another awkward and seemingly insincere 10 minutes of television.

Adrian Peterson was reinstated by the Vikings on Monday. (Ann Heisenfelt, The Associated Press)

The week from hell for the NFL has turned into weeks from hell. After the NFL’s contentious handling of the Ray Rice incident, which is still ongoing (the union plans to appeal his ban Tuesday), the focus turned to Adrian Peterson, who has been accused of abusing two of his children now.

Mylan Inc. said it was no longer working with Peterson to promote its EpiPen, used to treat allergic reactions. The running back had participated in several promotions to raise awareness for anaphylaxis, which he has dealt with in the past.

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was reinstated for practice and Sunday’s game at New Orleans. (Steve Dykes, Getty Images)

(Note: The most recent updates are at the top.)

UPDATED SEPT. 15, 8:53 p.m.: Peterson’s childhood friend David Cummings showed USA Today Sports the tree where they picked switches that their fathers used to whip them. And there’s this:

Two of Nelson Peterson’s brothers, Larry and Greg Peterson, and a former wife, Phyllis Peterson, confirmed that Nelson Peterson used corporal punishment and said they knew the story about what took place at Palestine Middle School. They say Peterson whipped his children and some of their friends with a belt or a tree branch known as a “switch.”

UPDATED SEPT. 15, 8:39 p.m.:

#Vikings say during their research, “We were made aware of an allegation from 2013 in which authorities took no action against Adrian.”

Radisson takes this matter very seriously particularly in light of our long-standing commitment to the protection of children. We are closely following the situation and effective immediately, Radisson is suspending its limited sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings while we evaluate the facts and circumstances.

UPDATED SEPT. 15, 7:07 p.m.:

Adrian Peterson’s lawyer Rusty Hardin tells me the latest accusations were made over a year ago. “No action was taken.” More coming.

UPDATED SEPT. 15, 6:00 p.m.: After Spielman’s bizarre news conference, KHOU, Houston’s CBS affiliate, reported that Peterson abused another one of his sons, and has photos of the 4-year-old’s injuries.

Seth Kaplan of Fox 9 tweeted the details of the report (which has not been posted on the network’s website yet). I’m leaving out the tweet of the blurred out photo of the child.

Report says Adrian hit then 4-year-old son last June… left a scar on kids forehead. This can be used as evidence in current investigation

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.